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Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Essie First Timer Swatches and Comparisons

Hey guys!

Happy Hump Day! I had my first exam of the week yesterday, and even though I thought it was pretty tough, I did better than I thought! But I'm still going to study all day today so I can do well on tomorrow's exam. Then it's a three-day weekend, and I'll have absolutely nothingto worry about. Days like those are rare in medical school, and I'm really looking forward to it!

Today I have a gorgeous new polish to show you that I picked up this past weekend... and it might just be one of my favorite greens that I own! It's called First Timer, and it was released this spring as part of Essie's 4-piece Resort Collection for 2013. When I first saw the promo photos for this collection, I thought First Timer was going to be terribly close to some shades we've seen before, so of course I had to compare them side by side.

Click on the link below to see pictures and comparisons!

Before I saw swatches of First Timer, I thought it was going to be either another mint polish that we've seen so much of, or just a straight-up green like Essie's Mojito Madness from last year's summer collection. However, when I saw this polish in the beauty supply shop, I realized just how different it was! This shade isn't your typical turquoise or mint like you might expect - it's a very bright green creme with a little bit of blue mixed it, but not too much to make it considered aqua. I love how it manages to be sort of pastel in terms of the softness of the green color, but it's oh so bright and really stands out! Perfect for summer! It was shocking to me that Essie could make a color like this that's actually unique. Way to go, Essie!Now let's talk about the formula. I was expecting it to be streaky and watery like other lighter Essie polishes (*ahem* lookin' at you Turquoise and Caicos). Usually I find the formula of Essies to be a little disappointing, but I was more than pleasantly surprised when I put on First Timer! I honestly could have gotten away with just one thick coat, but I used two to make it really pop. The formula is slightly thick, but I prefer that to a watery formula any day. I actually think the formula is amazing, especially for a color like this - it's creamy and flows so nicely. It was an absolute breeze to apply! And as an added bonus, it dried pretty quickly.

So now I am pleased to present you the amazing First Timer! All photos below are two coats, no top coat.

Sun.

Shade.

Indoors, natural light.

You can see in the photos how the polish looks more green in the sunlight, but indoors the blue is slightly more noticeable. Either way, it's so gorgeous, and I really can't get over how much I love this polish.Now for the comparisons. I thought that First Timer would be really close to Turquoise and Caicos, but honestly, I wouldn't have minded if they were dupes because T&C has a horrendous formula - you have to use really thin coats and it usually takes around 4 coats to reach full opacity. I also thought it might be similar to Essie's Where's My Chauffeur? But they proved to be very different.

I don't own Essie Mojito Madness, but from pictures I've seen, Mojito Madness is much darker and more of a true green than First Timer.

Here's the breakdown: - Turquoise and Caicos appears to be duller and slightly more dusty than First Timer when next to it. T&C also has more blue, making it more of a true turquoise, not green like First Timer. - Where's My Chauffeur? and First Timer aren't even close! Where's My Chauffeur is much more blue toned, to the point where I would consider it a blue shade with the right amount of green in it to make it aqua. In all photos, First Timer is on the left, Turquoise and Caicos in the middle, and Where's My Chauffeur? on the right. I used two coats of First Timer, and three coats of the other two. Also, as a side note, the difference between T&C and First Timer was a little more noticeable in person than it turned out in my photos. Otherwise, the photos are pretty color-accurate.

Sunlight.

Shade.

Indoors, natural light.

I never thought I would love a turquoise shade more than Turquoise and Caicos. It used to be one of my favorite polishes because of the color, but I always hated the formula. However, now that I have First Timer, it's easily one of my favorite shades I own in this color family, and one that I'll be wearing often in the upcoming months! It's just such a perfect bright minty-ish green polish, and I'm so happy to have added it to my collection!Also, a note about the names of the polishes in this collection. I kind of love that Essie got a little naughty... it made me giggle inside the first time I read all the names:- First Timer- In the Cab-Ana- Come Here- Under Where?Nice, Essie. :pAnyways, what do you guys think of First Timer? Do you love it as much as I do? I'd love to hear what you thing in the comments! It's the only one I picked up from this collection, and I couldn't be happier!I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

I really love getting comments, so if you like my post or have any suggestions, I'd love to hear what you think! I make sure to respond to every single one because I think this nail blogging community should be a collaborative one, and I love meeting and interacting with other nail polish addicts! Please don't post links to your blog on here, but if you'd like me to check it out, please email me at polishedprescription@gmail.com. Happy Commenting =)